AFVOA Newsletter 03 of 2020

Section 5 - Memoirs CV 2 No. 03 / 2020 Page 147 of 167 At sunset, all ships at the anchorage participate in a fireworks display. With the ships covering a wide expanse, the entire harbour appears to be aflame. As darkness descends, all ships, in unison, switch on their garlands of lights which accentuate their silhouettes. (Photo9) INS Malvan’s Account Detailed orders were received and preliminary preparations for the same commenced from October onwards. On reading through the orders one realized that participation in a PFR is not just remaining at anchorage and honouring the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. It involved tremendous effort from the Navy as a whole to make it a grand event. When we reached Bombay, all the berths in Naval Dockyard were full of ships. Thanks to our small size we were given berths alongside bigger minesweepers. The ships company started to earnestly prepare the ship for the Review. To maintain uniformity, paint schemes were laid down and strictly adhered to. Ceremonial flags for dressing lines and illumination garlands were similarly manufactured centrally according to the class of ship. For the duration of our stay in Bombay we were administratively placed under NOIC (B) Naval Officer-in-Charge Bombay. We paid our customary respects by calling onhim.